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HPV

Boro Park OB/GYN

OB-GYNs & Midwives located in Brooklyn, NY

The physicians at Boro Park OB/GYN in Brooklyn, New York, are passionate about patient education, vaccination, diagnostics, and treatment of HPV (human papillomavirus). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 79 million Americans have HPV. A significant number are unaware they have the virus, which is why the disease continues to spread. Vaccines are available but not widely sought. Schedule an appointment to learn more about your risk level and discuss vaccination. Online scheduling is available, or you can call the office.

HPV Q&A

What is HPV?

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US and spreads via sexual contact. There are multiple types of HPV, and some are more dangerous than others. In fact, your body can effectively fight off many types of HPV.

Certain types of HPV cause genital warts, and its known to cause the majority of cervical cancer cases. This virus also causes cancers of the penis, anus, vulva, and vagina, as well as oropharyngeal cancers.

How can I prevent HPV infection?

The best way to avoid an HPV infection is to get a vaccination or avoid sexual contact. Current vaccination recommendations include vaccination of all boys and girls at the age of 11 or 12. If you didn’t receive a vaccination at that age, it’s possible to receive a “catch-up” vaccine later in adulthood.

Adhering to safe sex practices is another critical tool to prevent HPV infections. While the consistent and correct use of male latex condoms during sexual activity may reduce your risk, this virus can also spread through contact with infected skin or mucosal surfaces not covered by a latex condom.

Symptoms don’t have to be present to transmit HPV to your partner. Because there’s often no signs or symptoms, it can be difficult to know if you have HPV.

Many men, women, and children don’t realize they have HPV until they develop genital warts or have an abnormal Pap smear result. By that point, you may have unwittingly passed the virus on to multiple partners.

What are treatment options for HPV?

There is no cure for the HPV virus. Your treatment focuses on the health problems brought on by an HPV infection, such as genital warts and cancers.

Genital warts are bumps or groupings of bumps on or near your genitals. They are small or large and appear flat or cauliflower-shaped.

In women, genital warts and cancers are detectable through a colposcopy, a minimally invasive diagnostic tool using a slim tube with a camera and light to visually inspect your vagina, cervix, and uterus.

If genital warts or abnormal cells are present, technologies that use heat or cold can remove them.

Cryosurgery destroys tumors or genital warts by freezing them using liquid nitrogen. A loop electrosurgical excision procedure removes damaged cells and genital warts with a small, electrically-heated wire loop.


Schedule an appointment at Boro Park to discuss your risk for HPV and for diagnostic or treatment services, as needed.